Co-housing is a way of living that offers many benefits, especially for seniors. If the concept is unfamiliar, you may be conjuring up images of a 1970s hippy commune, but rest assured you won’t have to wear tie dye t-shirts or become a vegan to be accepted! In this article, we explain what [...]

In Australia, the national past-time seems to be to save, save, save for a house deposit! People are making all sorts of sacrifices to get that all-important deposit together – from living with mum and dad into their thirties, to sacrificing life’s little luxuries. But why are so many Australians so very [...]

Gambling in Australia is a multibillion-dollar industry. And while we are in the midst of spring racing season – it is more evident than ever. Let’s imagine if the money that is being gambled away was saved instead for the purposes of retirement. We spend over $18 billion dollars per annum on all forms of gambling. Read [...]

A COMFORTABLE RETIREMENT FOR TOM & TILLY While a comfortable retirement might mean different things to different people, the popular benchmark is the one produced by the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA). The most recent ASFA figures (1)suggest that a couple will require an annual income of just short of $60,000 to enjoy a comfortable retirement lifestyle. ASFA goes [...]

The frenzy and speculation that occurs sometimes in the media on the topics of superannuation, retirement, and age pensions is nothing unusual. Over the years there has been a constant parade of legislation, which has been introduced and passed, all in the spirit of refining the ‘Three Pillar Retirement System’. If you are extremely desperate and have a couple of hours, [...]

Have you given any thought to what will happen to your assets when you pass away? Recent statistics have shown that approximately 45%* of us do not have a valid will. Most people don’t know that if you die without one, the government in the state in which you live will determine [...]

Our media is full of discussion around changes to the age pension assets test that will come into effect from 1 January 2017. However, some of the strategies being promoted, with the aim of enabling affected Australians to keep their pensions intact, are scary to say the least. For some, the idea of giving away money or assets to children, [...]

With 40 years' experience working in financial services, I have learnt a thing or two about retirement in my time. These are the 10 commandments that I will use to guide my life into retirement. Are they same as yours? 1. PREPARE - financially and emotionally, what do you want to do in retirement [...]

For a person in receipt of a part rate Age Pension – as a result of their assets and their income being above the applicable thresholds – understanding the pension they are being paid and working out whether it is correct can sometimes be a hit and miss process. The asset and income thresholds which affect your [...]

Life in your 50s is great. You don’t have a huge mortgage, the kids have grown up and are not as dependant on you, your career has progressed… So what’s next financially? When you are in your 50s you can see retirement on the horizon. Sure it might be 10-20 years off, [...]